DUKE STUDY OFFERS 7 SAFEGUARDS FOR HYDRAULIC FRACTURING
DURHAM, N.C. — A new report by Duke University researchers offers several health and environmental measures for North Carolina lawmakers to consider as they debate legalizing horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing for natural gas.
The study, which has been accepted for publication in the Duke Environmental Law and Policy Forum journal, looks at potential environmental hazards and how lawmakers in other states are factoring health and environmental risks into regulatory approaches targeting the natural gas extraction method.
”If North Carolina legalizes shale gas extraction, we need to consider what’s worked best in other states and avoid what hasn’t,” said Rob Jackson, Nicholas professor of global environmental change at the Nicholas School of the Environment. “That’s the only way to get it right.”
Legislation passed earlier this year has moved North Carolina closer to producing shale gas, and is directing the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to complete a study on the effects of hydraulic fracturing, often called “fracking,” by May, 2012.
The authors of Duke's own study say if North Carolina legislators allow natural gas production through hydraulic fracturing, they should consider seven measures to help avoid and mitigate any possible negative effects. These include:
Securing baseline data on groundwater prior to shale gas production and at each stage of the drilling process
Funding for regulatory programs and an agency to carry them out
Planning for withdrawals from area water supplies related to the production
Minimizing the risks of spills and contamination caused by equipment failure and human error by implementing safety requirements
Thinking through options for the disposal and treatment of wastewater resulting from the hydraulic fracturing process
Assessing the impacts on air quality and assuring attainment of federal ground-level ozone standards
Requiring some degree of disclosure regarding the chemicals used in fracturing fluid.
"Lawmakers have the unique opportunity to decide whether or not hydraulic fracturing is appropriate for the state,” said Jonas Monast, director of the climate and energy program for the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions. “Before making a decision, we need to understand the full range of potential economic, environmental and health impacts.”
The paper “Considering Shale Gas Extraction in North Carolina: Lessons Learned in Other States,” is written by Sarah Plikunas, Brooks Rainey Pearson and Jonas Monast of Duke’s Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions and Rob Jackson and Avner Vengosh of the Nicholas School of the Environment. To read it, visit http://nicholasinstitute.duke.edu/nc-hydraulic-fracturing/paper.
DURHAM, N.C. — A new report by Duke University researchers offers several health and environmental measures for North Carolina lawmakers to consider as they debate legalizing horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing for natural gas.
The study, which has been accepted for publication in the Duke Environmental Law and Policy Forum journal, looks at potential environmental hazards and how lawmakers in other states are factoring health and environmental risks into regulatory approaches targeting the natural gas extraction method.
”If North Carolina legalizes shale gas extraction, we need to consider what’s worked best in other states and avoid what hasn’t,” said Rob Jackson, Nicholas professor of global environmental change at the Nicholas School of the Environment. “That’s the only way to get it right.”
Legislation passed earlier this year has moved North Carolina closer to producing shale gas, and is directing the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to complete a study on the effects of hydraulic fracturing, often called “fracking,” by May, 2012.
The authors of Duke's own study say if North Carolina legislators allow natural gas production through hydraulic fracturing, they should consider seven measures to help avoid and mitigate any possible negative effects. These include:
Securing baseline data on groundwater prior to shale gas production and at each stage of the drilling process
Funding for regulatory programs and an agency to carry them out
Planning for withdrawals from area water supplies related to the production
Minimizing the risks of spills and contamination caused by equipment failure and human error by implementing safety requirements
Thinking through options for the disposal and treatment of wastewater resulting from the hydraulic fracturing process
Assessing the impacts on air quality and assuring attainment of federal ground-level ozone standards
Requiring some degree of disclosure regarding the chemicals used in fracturing fluid.
"Lawmakers have the unique opportunity to decide whether or not hydraulic fracturing is appropriate for the state,” said Jonas Monast, director of the climate and energy program for the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions. “Before making a decision, we need to understand the full range of potential economic, environmental and health impacts.”
The paper “Considering Shale Gas Extraction in North Carolina: Lessons Learned in Other States,” is written by Sarah Plikunas, Brooks Rainey Pearson and Jonas Monast of Duke’s Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions and Rob Jackson and Avner Vengosh of the Nicholas School of the Environment. To read it, visit http://nicholasinstitute.duke.edu/nc-hydraulic-fracturing/paper.
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"...we need to consider what’s worked best in other states and avoid what hasn’t. That’s the only way to get it right.”
And if the only way to get it right is to not inject toxic chemicals into the groundwater?
"Planning for withdrawals from area water supplies related to the production"
According to the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection, right now there are 3679 permits for fracking wells in that state. It's entirely conceivable that NC could see that same volume.
http://tinyurl.com/cbf7dqc
According to Chesapeake Energy, one of the biggest drillers in the US, it takes 5 million gallons of water to put one well into production.
http://tinyurl.com/3duqaky
The southeast is in a major drought. Is this the time to open the door for literally billions of gallons of water to be committed to hydraulic fracturing?
By Barry Summers
11/22/2011
Great points here. Note that NC-DENR has its own review underway now...this is the time for the public to weigh in. Don't wait until they issue their report next May!
By Susan Andrew
11/22/2011
The only real 'safeguard' is to not allow this highly riskly, inefficient process from getting anywhere near your community. At what point do we decide that the continued destruction of our air, water and ecosystems are simply not worth the profit accruing to a very few? When the planet can no longer sustain life?
By Dionysis
11/22/2011
And when our Rep. Tim Moffitt announces his carefully-studied plan to seize Asheville's water system, consider what is already happening in other states: privatized water is gushing into fracking operations at a crazy unsustainable rate: 4 - 13 million gallons per well. Check out what is currently happening in 'drought-stricken' Texas:
"The Texas Water Development Board estimates the total amount of water used for fracking statewide in 2010 was 13.5 billion gallons... Only about 20 percent to 25 percent on average of the water is recovered, while the rest disappears underground, never to be seen again.
http://tinyurl.com/d874z3b
By Barry Summers
11/22/2011
Clean Water for NC's quarterly newsletter has a frontpage story about the collusion of a private water company and fracking operators in Pennsylvania to build a dedicated pipeline to funnel millions of gallons of fresh water straight into gas wells:
http://www.cwfnc.org/documents/CleanCurrentsWinter2011-2012.pdf
The company in this story, Aqua America, is the parent company for AquaNC, the largest private water company in North Carolina.
By Barry Summers
11/22/2011